TW Database: gut-like Zyex, unraveling the mysteries

[Centered]

If you sort the strings by:

1. Swing speed
2. Stiffness
3. Total tension loss
4. Energy return
5. Gauge nominal

You end up with a list of natural gut strings under the fast swing category and then this one:

brand/name, swing, gauge, actual tension, stiffness, tension lost, energy return

Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Fast, 1.34, 21.74, 104.6, 18.7, 85.0

After this, there are three guts:

Armour Pro 16/1.30, Fast, 1.3, 54.29, 105.2 , 7.5, 96.6
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 40.70, 106.9, 10.4, 94.7
Klip Armour Pro, 16/1.30, Fast, 1.3, 42.62, 109.2, 8.4, 95.8

What about medium swings? Same story. Natural guts followed by Dynamite 16 — and then four more natural guts, then other synthetics:

Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Medium, 1.34, 21.83, 109.7, 18.3, 89.3

The only exception to this is slow swing speed. With slow swings, Dynamite 16 is actually stiffer than a number of synthetics (see end of post for list):

Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Slow, 1.34, 21.54, 124.0, 18.1, 95.3

Note that the WB version of Dynamite is much thicker than the 17 gauge and the new Dynamite Soft comes in 17 and 18 – with finer filaments.

What does this mean? While Dynamite WB doesn't offer the same efficiency per stiffness as quality natural gut, it's the closest thing in terms of stiffness to natural gut for players who swing medium or fast. The thinner gauge 17 has a lower stiffness yet. For players who have a slow swing speed, another synthetic string will offer more gut-like feel in comparison with the 16 gauge WB.

(As for the thinner varieties... not sure about that. The RSI numbers place Dynamite 17 two steps above two synthetics in terms of stiffness with a fast swing at 62 lbs.)

After the Dynamite comes two more natural gut strings:

Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 40.70, 106.9, 10.4, 94.7
Klip Armour Pro 16/1.30, Fast, 1.3, 42.62, 109.2, 8.4, 95.8

followed by these synthetics:

Polyfibre Poly Hightec 18, Fast, 1.1, 11.05, 109.2, 29.3, 72.1
Gosen Nanoblend 17, Fast, 1.24, 28.75, 112.0, 11.0, 89.7
Pacific PMX 17, Fast, 1.23, 28.40, 114.3, 11.5, 90.1
IsoSpeed Axon Multi, 16L, Fast, 1.25, 25.93, 116.0, 14.1, 88.9
Volkl Gripper 17, Fast, 1.25, 29.17, 116.6, 10.8, 90.8
Prince Premier W/Softflex 16, Fast, 1.3 , 28.58, 117.2, 11.2, 89.3
Wilson Sensation Supreme 16, Fast, 1.3, 28.51, 120.0, 11.5, 89.7
Wilson Hollow Core 16, Fast, 1.33, 23.77, 120.0, 16.1, 86.9

these synthetics follow Dynamite (after the 4 guts) at medium swing -- are less gut-like in feel:

Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Medium, 1.3, 29.64, 116.6, 10.4, 92.5
Gosen Nanoblend 17, Medium, 1.24, 28.86, 116.6, 10.8, 92.2
Volkl Gripper 17, Medium, 1.25, 29.28, 118.3, 10.6, 94.9
Pacific PMX 17, Medium, 1.23, 28.40, 122.3, 11.2, 90.1
Tecnifibre E-Matrix 16, Medium, 1.3, 30.61, 123.4, 9.0, 94.5
Polyfibre Poly Hightec 18, Medium, 1.1, 10.54, 123.4, 29.1, 78.5
Prince Premier W/Softflex 16, Medium, 1.3, 28.66, 125.2, 11.0, 91.8
Tecnifibre E-Matrix 17, Medium, 1.24, 31.24, 125.7, 8.4, 95.6
Wilson Hollow Core Pro 17, Medium, 1.27, 23.51, 125.7, 16.3, 90.1
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Medium, 1.33, 28.86, 126.9, 10.8, 92.7

So, these results help to explain the contradictory claims about Dynamite's stiffness. It is stiffer at slow swing speeds than it is at higher swing speeds. It feels more like gut at medium and fast swing speeds than any other string in the database. Some strings, by contrast, feel more gut-like than Dynamite at slow swing speeds:

Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Slow, 1.3, 29.52, 109.7, 10.1, 95.5
Pacific Tough Gut 16L, Slow, 1.28, 43.53, 112.0, 7.1, 96.8
Gosen Nanoblend 17, Slow, 1.24, 29.00, 112.6, 10.8, 96.4
Klip Armour Pro 16/1.30, Slow, 1.3, 32.28, 113.7, 7.5, 98.4
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Slow, 1.34, 41.19, 113.7, 9.5, 98.2
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Slow, 1.34, 52.17, 114.9, 9.7, 98.0
Klip Armour Pro 16/1.30, Slow, 1.3, 43.31, 116.6, 7.7, 98.4
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Slow, 1.34, 29.55, 117.2, 9.9, 96.6
Volkl Gripper 17, Slow, 1.25, 29.37, 119.4, 10.4, 96.6
Prince Premier W/ Softflex 17, Slow, 1.25, 29.33, 120.0, 10.4, 96.6
Gosen Compositemaster II 16, Slow, 1.28, 29.15, 121.7, 10.6, 92.7
Wilson Hollow Core Pro 17, Slow, 1.27, 23.26, 121.7, 16.3, 95.8
Pacific PMX 17, Slow 1.23 28.44, 122.9, 11.2, 97.2
Prince Premier W/Softflex 16, Slow, 1.3, 28.71, 123.4, 11.0, 97.2
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Slow, 1.34, 21.54, 124.0, 18.1, 95.3

This also explains why Dynamite feels more gut-like at low tensions. As tension drops, the string is more like natural gut in feel. Efficiency (energy return) is below gut, but the stiffness becomes more like gut than other synthetics. So, Dynamite can be a string that allows players to use lower tensions, given its lower efficiency, while having a gut-like feel for medium to fast swing speeds. People who have a slow swing and string at a higher tension will find the string firmer.

It explains the complaints about the string feeling stiff in the comments section. The person who posted that either has a slow swing and/or strung the string too tightly. It's clearly the least stiff synthetic string at lower tensions given a medium to fast swing speed. The claims made about Zyex's gut-like dynamic stiffness have been validated, although not for people who bunt balls.

The TW tool is definitely more useful for deep understanding of strings than the RSI numbers, although those are a good quick guide. I hope TW will test more Zyex strings, like the new Dynamite Soft, the 17 gauge regular Dynamite, and Klip's. Given how well this thick WB Dynamite tests, in terms of gut-like stiffness, the thinner varieties of Zyex are obviously likely to feel even better. It will also be interesting to see how the Dynamite Soft does in terms of tension retention. It if has improved on that front, then it could be an even better gut replacement.

 

[Centered]

More stats for the obsessive (note the insanely low stiffness of the first).

The natural gut strings that precede Dynamite WB 16 at fast swings:

Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 51.24, 78.3, 10.8, 97.8
Wilson Natural Gut 17, Fast, 1.25 , 43.33, 80.6, 7.7, 95.3
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 32.94, 81.2, 6.8, 94.3
Wilson Natural Gut 17 Fast, 1.25, 32.30, 82.3, 7.5 , 93.7
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 44.32, 85.2, 6.8, 94.5
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16L, Fast, 1.25, 32.88, 86.3, 6.8, 92.7
Babolat VS Natural Team Gut 17, Fast, 1.25, 31.86, 86.3, 7.9, 93.7
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 53.45, 86.3, 8.8, 94.5
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 53.85, 89.2, 8.6, 96.0
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 31.88, 89.7, 7.9, 93.7
Babolat Tonic + 16, Fast, 1.35, 32.06, 90.9, 7.7, 93.3
Pacific Tough Gut 16L, Fast, 1.28, 31.97, 90.9, 7.9, 94.1
Babolat VS Touch 16, Fast, 1.3, 29.15, 90.9, 10.6, 93.1
Babolat VS Natural Team Gut 17, Fast, 1.25, 43.48, 92.0, 7.7, 95.6
Wilson Natural Gut 17 Fast, 1.25, 54.27, 92.6, 7.9, 97.8
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16L, Fast, 1.25, 43.88, 93.7, 7.1, 96.2
Wilson Natural Gut 16 Fast, 1.3, 30.34, 94.3, 9.5, 93.7
Pacific Tough Gut 16L, Fast, 1.28, 42.98, 96.0, 7.9, 97.0
Babolat VS Touch 16, Fast, 1.3, 41.41, 96.0, 9.5, 95.5
Babolat Tonic + 16, Fast, 1.35, 53.87, 96.6, 8.2, 97.0
Wilson Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.3, 42.18, 96.6, 8.8, 95.3
Klip Legend 16 Uncoated, Fast, 1.3, 31.73, 97.2, 8.2, 93.3
Babolat VS Natural Team Gut 17, Fast, 1.25, 53.14, 97.7, 9.0, 96.0
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16L, Fast, 1.25, 54.44, 98.3, 7.7, 96.6
Babolat Tonic + 16, Fast, 1.35, 43.33, 98.9, 7.5, 96.0
Wilson Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.3, 51.91, 99.4, 10.1, 96.6
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 43.39, 100.0, 7.7, 96.8
Klip Legend 16 Uncoated, Fast, 1.3, 43.22, 101.2, 7.7, 95.8
Babolat VS Touch 16, Fast, 1.3, 51.11, 101.7, 10.8, 96.2
Klip Armour Pro 16/1.30, Fast, 1.3, 31.91, 102.3, 7.9, 93.7
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 29.22, 102.3, 10.6, 92.4
Pacific Tough Gut 16L, Fast, 1.28 54.40, 104.0, 7.7, 96.8
Klip Legend 16 Uncoated, Fast, 1.3, 54.35, 104.6, 7.5, 95.6

The natural gut strings that precede Dynamite WB 16 at medium swings:

Wilson Natural Gut 17, Medium, 1.25, 43.44, 83.4, 7.3, 98.0
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 33.08, 85.2, 6.6, 94.1
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 44.52, 88.6, 6.2, 97.0
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 53.65, 88.6, 8.2, 96.8
Wilson Natural Gut 17, Medium, 1.25, 32.44, 89.2, 7.3, 97.8
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16L, Medium, 1.25, 33.01, 90.9, 6.6, 95.5
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 54.22, 90.9, 7.7, 98.4
Babolat VS Natural Team Gut 17, Medium, 1.25, 31.99, 92.6, 7.7, 95.5
Babolat VS Natural Team Gut 17, Medium 1.25 43.92 93.2 7.1 97.4
Wilson Natural Gut 17, Medium, 1.25 54.51 94.9 7.3 96.2
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16 Medium 1.34 32.06 95.4 7.7 96.2
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16L Medium 1.25 54.71 96.0 7.3 98.8
Babolat Tonic + 16 Medium 1.35 32.26 96.0 7.5 95.6
Pacific Tough Gut 16L Medium 1.28 32.06 96.0 7.7 95.8
Wilson Natural Gut 16 Medium 1.3 42.60 97.7 8.4 95.8
Wilson Natural Gut 16 Medium 1.3 52.43 98.3 9.7 97.8
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16L Medium 1.25 43.88 98.9 6.8 96.0
Pacific Tough Gut 16L Medium 1.28 55.17 98.9 7.1 97.6
Babolat VS Touch 16 Medium 1.3 29.55 98.9 10.4 96.4
Wilson Natural Gut 16 Medium 1.3 30.58 99.4 9.3 94.9
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16 Medium 1.34 43.66 100.0 7.1 98.6
Babolat VS Natural Team Gut 17, Medium, 1.25, 53.47, 100.6, 8.6, 97.2
Babolat VS Touch 16, Medium, 1.3, 51.51, 101.2, 10.6, 97.2
Babolat Tonic + 16, Medium, 1.35, 54.18, 101.7, 7.7, 96.8
Klip Legend 16 Uncoated, Medium, 1.3, 31.95, 101.7, 7.9, 95.8
Babolat Tonic + 16, Medium, 1.35, 43.57, 103.4, 7.3, 96.6
Klip Legend 16 Uncoated, Medium, 1.3, 54.64, 104.0, 7.3, 98.6
Pacific Tough Gut 16L, Medium, 1.28, 43.46, 104.0, 7.5, 98.8
Klip Legend 16 Uncoated, Medium, 1.3, 43.46, 105.2, 7.3, 97.8
Klip Armour Pro 16/1.30, Medium, 1.3, 54.55, 106.3, 7.3, 96.6
Babolat VS Touch 16, Medium, 1.3, 41.72, 106.3, 9.3, 97.4
Klip Armour Pro 16/1.30, Medium, 1.3, 32.10, 109.7, 7.7, 95.6

Now, we really need to see TW stats for Dynamite 17, Klip Zyex, and Dynamite Soft 17/18!

 

[Centered]

TW is/was running a special on Dynamite 17. $7.08 per pack for orders of 5 packs or more.

A good price considering its characteristics, I'd say.

Now I wonder when the Dynamite Soft will come in.

 

[scotus]

So does it not make dynamite a bad choice for power hitters?

Lux M2, for example, is supposed to be soft on slow touch shots and stiff on fast shots.

Dynamite, acc to you, is just the opposite. Which may make it uncontrollable from baseline and unplayable at the net.

 

[Centered]

Quite the opposite, actually. It will play more like natural gut for people who have medium or fast swings.

It doesn't favor dinkers, unless those slow swingers prefer a firmer feel. It also means the string is elbow-friendly because it gives more like gut when someone takes a big swing.

Dinkers can also string at a lower tension to obtain a softer feel because the energy return drops. But, for them, the Weiss Cannon string seems to be a better fit:

Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Slow, 1.3, 29.52, 109.7, 10.1, 95.5

However that string is also around twice the price, so for slow swing players they should use a thinner Zyex string like Dynamite 17, Klip Zyex 17*, or Dynamite Soft* and string at a lower tension—if they want to save money. The side benefit is that if they choose to take a medium or fast swing once in a while their elbow will thank them.

And, keep in mind that a 124 stiffness isn't high. It's just not as soft as most natural guts.

*There are no published numbers for these from RSI or TW so far.

 

[fuzzyballs]

Centered..... Have you ever put anything together without reading the directions? By the time it takes me to read all that I could have strung a "Zyex" string and be on my way to the court!

 

[Preston]

Fuzzyballs the point behind your question is valid, however I think you are missing the value of people like centered.

This is why I love forums. You get people like centered who like to read and research technical numbers and you get the people who are all about ignoring numbers, stats, directions, etc. They just dive in.

In forums I get to benefit from both types of people's experience.

Centered IMO, you get a little too focused on numbers at times, but I do enjoy reading your findings... whether I agree or not, that depends on the thread.

 

[Centered]

What happens when we are fairer and thus compare only thick gauge strings (since the TW numbers only have one Zyex string, 1.34mm Dynamite WB)? We end up with Dynamite topping the chart for synthetics even with a slow swing speed. This strongly suggests that the thinner gauge Dynamite 17 (1.25mm) should be the top synthetic in terms of dynamic stiffness – along with other thin Zyex strings — even at slow swing speeds.

Top 10 results for strings with at least 1.31mm thickness (nominal):

Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Slow, 1.34, 21.54, 124.0, 18.1, 95.3
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Slow, 1.33, 28.91, 125.2, 10.6, 96.4
Yonex Tournament 80 Spin 15L-16, Slow, 1.33, 30.36, 130.9, 9.3, 95.6
Gamma Professional 16, Slow, 1.32, 29.04, 130.9, 10.6, 94.9
Gamma Revelation 16, Slow, 1.32, 28.05, 134.3, 11.7, 96.4
Gamma ESP 16, Slow, 1.32, 28.29, 140.0, 11.2, 98.6
Tecnifibre NRG2 16, Slow, 1.32, 32.13, 141.7, 7.5, 96.2
Gamma Professional Spin 16, Slow, 1.35, 28.86, 142.9, 10.8, 96.2
Gamma Professional 16, Slow, 1.32, 38.54, 143.4, 12.1, 99.2
Wilson K-Gut Pro 16, Slow, 1.33, 29.94, 144.6, 9.7, 95.6

Top 20:

Gamma Live Wire XP 16, Slow, 1.32, 29.37, 145.2, 10.4, 96.2
Head RIP PerfectPower 16, Slow, 1.31, 28.20, 145.2, 11.5, 96.4
Dunlop X-Life Synthetic 15L, Slow, 1.4, 30.16, 145.7, 9.5, 96.0
Gamma Prodigy 16, Slow, 1.32, 29.92, 146.3, 9.7 , 95.6
Gamma TNT2 Rx 16, Slow, 1.34, 29.75, 146.3, 10.1, 97.8
Gamma Asterisk Tour 16, Slow, 1.32, 29.22, 146.3, 10.4, 96.2
Volkl Power-Fiber II 16, Slow, 1.32, 29.90, 146.9, 9.7, 96.8
Prince Tournament Nylon 15L, Slow, 1.38, 30.58, 148.0 , 9.0, 97.2
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Slow, 1.33, 38.94, 148.0, 11.7, 96.0
Wilson Hollow Core 16, Slow, 1.33, 23.57, 148.0, 16.1, 93.5

Summary:

Dynamite feels more like gut than any other tested synthetic of similar thickness, even at a slow swing speed.
NRG-2 has the best tension retention. Its retention is better than some natural gut strings.
Gamma Professional has the best efficiency (note that it is slightly thinner gauge than the Dynamite).

 

[Centered]

I wonder if polyurethane (used in NRG-2) can be combined with Zyex to improve tension retention?

I think Ashaway said the new Dynamite Soft is supposed to have better tension retention and bonding between the Zyex fibers and the outer layer.

 

[Centered]

Now, what happens at medium swing speed?

Top 10:

Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 33.08, 85.2, 6.6, 94.1
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 44.52, 88.6, 6.2, 97.0
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 53.65, 88.6, 8.2, 96.8
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 54.22, 90.9, 7.7, 98.4
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 32.06, 95.4, 7.7, 96.2
Babolat Tonic + 16, Medium, 1.35, 32.26, 96.0, 7.5, 95.6
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 43.66, 100.0, 7.1, 98.6
Babolat Tonic + 16, Medium, 1.35, 54.18, 101.7, 7.7, 96.8
Babolat Tonic + 16, Medium, 1.35, 43.57, 103.4, 7.3, 96.6
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Medium, 1.34, 21.83, 109.7, 18.3, 89.3

That's right, folks. Dynamite makes it into the top 10, along with 9 natural guts. Pretty good result for a $7.08 string! Let's keep going until we get to another synthetic:

Top 20:

Pacific Tough Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 51.77, 110.3, 10.4, 97.8
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Medium, 1.34, 29.46, 112.0, 10.4, 93.3
Pacific Tough Gut 16 Medium, 1.34, 41.06, 115.4, 9.9, 94.5
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Medium, 1.33, 28.86, 126.9, 10.8, 92.7
Gamma Professional 16, Medium, 1.32, 28.95, 129.2, 10.8, 93.7
Wilson Hollow Core 16, Medium, 1.33, 23.79, 133.7, 16.1, 90.1
Gamma Revelation 16 , Medium, 1.32, 28.00, 135.4, 11.7, 94.1
Yonex Tournament 80 Spin 15L-16, Medium, 1.33, 30.25, 136.0, 9.5, 92.7
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Medium, 1.34, 34.55, 137.2, 16.3, 92.9
LaserFibre Supernatural Gut Pro Stock 16, Medium, 1.34, 28.20, 137.7, 11.7, 93.9

Summary:

Dynamite kicks other synthetics to the curb in terms of gut-like stiffness.
Gamma Asterisk Spin is the second-best performer.
Dynamite places twice, unlike any other synthetic. In the top 10 at low tension. In the top 20 at medium tension.
Gamma Revelation has the best efficiency.
Yonex Tournament 80 Spin has the best tension retention.

 

[Centered]

And finally, fast swings:

Top 10:

Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 51.24, 78.3, 10.8, 97.8
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 32.94, 81.2, 6.8, 94.3
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 44.32, 85.2, 6.8, 94.5
Pacific Prime Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 53.45, 86.3, 8.8, 94.5
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 53.85, 89.2, 8.6, 96.0
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 31.88, 89.7, 7.9, 93.7
Babolat Tonic + 16, Fast, 1.35, 32.06, 90.9, 7.7, 93.3
Babolat Tonic + 16, Fast, 1.35, 53.87, 96.6, 8.2, 97.0
Babolat Tonic + 16, Fast, 1.35, 43.33, 98.9, 7.5, 96.0
Pacific Classic Natural Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 43.39, 100.0, 7.7, 96.8

Top 20:

Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 29.22, 102.3, 10.6, 92.4
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Fast, 1.34, 21.74, 104.6, 18.7, 85.0
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.34, 40.70, 106.9, 10.4, 94.7
Wilson Hollow Core 16, Fast , 1.33, 23.77, 120.0, 16.1, 86.9
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Fast, 1.33, 28.69, 121.2, 11.2, 89.3
Gamma Professional 16, Fast, 1.32, 28.84, 124.6, 11.0, 90.4
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Fast, 1.34, 34.49, 125.2, 16.8, 91.0
Gamma Revelation 16, Fast, 1.32, 27.89, 129.7, 11.9, 90.1
LaserFibre Supernatural Gut Pro Stock 16, Fast, 1.34, 28.00, 131.4, 11.9, 88.7
Yonex Tournament 80 Spin 15L-16, Fast, 1.33, 30.08, 133.7, 9.7, 90.4

Summary:

At fast swing speeds, Dynamite drops from the tenth position down to the twelfth, but still tops other synthetics.

Again, Dynamite is the only synthetic to make the top 20 twice – with the highest actual tension of any synthetic in the top 20 stiffness index. Dynamite's stiffness at that medium tension is the same as it's stiffness with a slow swing at low tension.

Wilson Hollow Core is the second-best performer.
Dynamite at medium tension has the best efficiency.
Yonex Tournament 80 Spin once again has the best tension retention.

 

[Centered]

Final summary:

1. Zyex is the best synthetic material for approximating the feel of natural gut. It really does offer the most gut-like dynamic stiffness of any synthetic, even rivaling some natural gut strings.

3. At fast swing speed, the closest performer—Wilson Hollow Core—is around 13.5 points stiffer. At medium swing speed, the closest performer—Gamma Asterisk Spin—is about 15 points stiffer.

4. Asterisk Spin is basically equal to Dynamite at slow swing speeds. But Dynamite leaves it in the dust at higher swing speeds.

5. Let's hope Dynamite Soft, a new Zyex string from Ashaway that has many fine filaments of Zyex, offers similar or better dynamic stiffness with improved tension retention. Improved efficiency at low tensions would also be a bonus.

 

[Centered]

Oh crud. I just checked the actual gauge. I used nominal because the database can't sort by actual gauge yet.

I get to do the numbers again! Dynamite WB 16 is actually really thick: 1.41mm!

 

[Centered]

Ok, here are the numbers for strings with at least 1.35mm thickness (actual):

Dynamite beats gut!

Top 15, medium swing:

Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Medium, 1.41, 21.83, 109.7, 18.3, 89.3
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Medium, 1.39, 51.77, 110.3, 10.4, 97.8
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Medium, 1.39, 29.46, 112.0, 10.4, 93.3
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Medium, 1.39, 41.06, 115.4, 9.9, 94.5
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Medium, 1.37, 28.86, 126.9, 10.8, 92.7
Yonex Tournament 80 Spin 15L-16, Medium, 1.41, 30.25, 136.0, 9.5, 92.7
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Medium, 1.41, 34.55, 137.2, 16.3, 92.9
Head RIP Control 16, Medium, 1.45, 29.08, 140.6, 10.8, 93.9
Gamma Professional Spin 16, Medium, 1.4, 28.78, 141.2, 11.0, 93.1
Head ETS 16 Medium, 1.45, 29.06, 145.2, 10.8, 93.3
Prince Recoil 16, Medium, 1.36, 28.11, 149.2, 11.7, 91.6
Dunlop X-Life Synthetic 15L, Medium, 1.40, 29.94, 149.7, 9.7, 93.3
Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16, Medium, 1.35, 29.17, 150.3, 10.6, 92.7
Gamma TNT2 Rx 16, Medium, 1.35, 29.22, 150.9, 10.6, 93.3

Summary:

When actual gauge is taken into account, amazingly Dynamite does better than natural gut, in terms of dynamic stiffness. Of course, it doesn't have the same efficiency or tension retention. But, for it to top natural gut at around the same thickness is quite a surprising result.

Fast swing results, top 10:

Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.39, 51.24, 78.3, 10.8, 97.8
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Fast, 1.41, 21.74, 104.6, 18.7, 85.0
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.39, 40.70, 106.9, 10.4, 94.7
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Fast, 1.37, 28.69, 121.2, 11.2, 89.3
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Fast, 1.41, 34.49, 125.2, 16.8, 91.0
Tecnifibre TGV 16, Fast, 1.35, 28.55, 131.4, 11.2, 90.1
Yonex Tournament 80 Spin 15L-16, Fast, 1.41, 30.08, 133.7, 9.7, 90.4
Gamma TNT2 Pro Plus 16, Fast, 1.37, 28.51, 134.3, 11.2, 89.3
Head RIP PerfectPower 16, Fast, 1.35, 28.00, 134.9, 11.9, 90.6
Head PerfectControl 16, Fast, 1.38, 30.38, 136.6, 9.5, 91.8

Top 20:
Gamma Professional Spin 16, Fast, 1.4, 28.64, 140.0, 11.2, 90.4
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Fast, 1.41, 44.65, 142.3, 17.6, 92.5
Head Synthetic Gut PPS 16, Fast, 1.35, 29.04, 143.4, 10.8, 88.9
Head ETS 16, Fast, 1.45, 28.89, 143.4, 11.0, 90.8
Dunlop X-Life Synthetic 15L, Fast, 1.40, 29.81, 145.2, 9.9, 93.3
Prince Tournament Nylon 15L, Fast, 1.4, 30.25, 146.3, 9.7, 89.5
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Fast, 1.37, 38.46, 149.7, 12.3, 92.2
Head PerfectControl 16, Fast, 1.38, 40.81, 150.9, 10.1, 93.3
Wilson NXT Tour 16, Fast, 1.35, 29.75, 150.9, 10.1, 88.4
Gosen AK Pro 16, Fast, 1.36, 29.08, 150.9, 10.8, 89.5

Summary:

Natural gut is the best, but Dynamite dominates in terms of dynamic stiffness among synthetics. It appears in the top 10 twice and in the top 20 all three times.

The most efficient synthetics are Dynamite and Dunlop X-Life Synthetic (Head PerfectControl is excluded because of its inferior stiffness to efficiency ratio).

Slow swing speed, top 10:

Pacific Tough Gut 16, Slow, 1.39, 41.19, 113.7, 9.5, 98.2
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Slow, 1.39, 52.17, 114.9, 9.7, 98.0
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Slow, 1.39, 29.55, 117.2, 9.9, 96.6
Ashaway Dynamite WB 16, Slow, 1.41, 21.54, 124.0, 18.1, 95.3
Gamma Asterisk Spin 16, Slow, 1.37, 28.91, 125.2, 10.6, 96.4
Yonex Tournament 80 Spin 15L-16, Slow, 1.41, 30.36, 130.9, 9.3, 95.6
Tecnifibre TGV 16, Slow, 1.35, 28.71, 137.2, 11.0, 97.0
Gamma Professional Spin 16, Slow, 1.4, 28.86, 142.9, 10.8, 96.2
Head RIP PerfectPower 16, Slow, 1.35, 28.20, 145.2, 11.5, 96.4
Head ETS 16, Medium, 1.45, 47.58, 174.3, 14.3, 96.0

Summary:

The efficiency numbers are all close. Keep in mind gauge differences when looking at them. Only natural gut (Tough Gut) has a noticeable advantage in efficiency.

The lineup of synthetics following Dynamite is a bit different, now that actual gauge is taken into account.

 

[Centered]

Dynamite WB is the most efficient thick synthetic for medium to fast swings at medium to high tension. One needs to look at the gauge, the stiffness, and the actual tension—all at the same time. This makes sense since dynamic stiffness and efficiency (energy return) should go hand in hand.

Also, I want to note that Weiss Cannon Explosiv had good numbers at low tension, but the actual gauge number is incomplete. It says "38", which could be 1.38 or could just be a typo. If it is 1.38, here are the numbers so people can see how the string ranks:

Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Slow, 1.38?, 29.52, 109.7, 10.1, 95.5 – beats Dynamite's 124.0
Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Slow, 1.38?, 38.32, 138.3, 12.3, 96.8 – beats Dynamite's 153.2
Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Slow, 1.38?, 48.64, 159.4, 13.2, 94.5 – beats Dynamite's 172.0
Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Medium, 1.38?, 29.64, 116.6, 10.4, 92.5 – loses to Dynamite's 109.7
Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Medium, 1.38?, 38.17, 150.3, 12.6, 94.3 – loses to Dynamite's 137.2
Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Medium, 1.38?, 48.38, 173.7, 13.5, 94.7 – loses to Dynamite's 153.2
Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Fast, 1.38?, 29.33, 120.6, 10.6, 90.1 – loses to Dynamite's 104.6
Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Fast, 1.38?, 38.01, 150.9, 12.8, 92.9 – loses to Dynamite's 125.2
Weiss Cannon Explosiv 1.30, Fast, 1.38?, 48.14, 169.7, 13.9, 93.5 – loses to Dynamite's 142.3

Summary:

If Explosiv is actually 1.38mm then it seems to be the synthetic string construction style to get for players who like low tensions and have slow swings. However, the "38" could just be a typo and the string is in fact nearer to the 1.30mm nominal gauge. If this is the case, it's less compelling given that there are thinner Dynamites that will perform better than the WB at slow speeds.

 

[Centered]

I'm wondering why this set of numbers exists, too:

Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.39, 51.24, 78.3, 10.8, 97.8
Pacific Tough Gut 16, Fast, 1.39, 40.70, 106.9, 10.4, 94.7

Why would the stiffness be so much higher at a lower tension?

 

[Centered]

As for the Weiss string, RSI didn't measure it so I'm not sure what the actual gauge is. I'm going to just go with the nominal, 1.30mm. This makes its stiffness performance with slow swing speeds less impressive, since we're comparing it with a 1.41mm string that costs half the price.